h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Believing in luck in London or Adelaide is just superstitious clap-trap. But in some places, lucky things are real if the local spirits are continue to be properly acknowleged. Such places are Shinto shrines in Japan, remote sacred sites in Australia and always at sea.

On my last trip to Tokyo, I visited a number of the Shinto shrines (they are everywhere and nearly always have a nice garden where you can eat your lunch sitting down - eating standing up is bad form in Japan). On my last day I ended up sitting next to a carp pool in a very traditional garden in the old temple district (near the Sumo Stadium). Three times the carp lept from the water while I watched which is VERY lucky.

I had to rush to get a train back to my hotel for my bags and then catch the express train to Narita aiport (Tokoyo international airport). By the time I got my bag and run to the station, all the my contingency time had been used up. Amazingly, it turned out the next express train (which I absolutely had to catch) left in 5 minutes. The slow train is very slow and the expresses run only one an hour which is far less frequently than I had thought. So I was very lucky.

I reached the airport in good time and when I checked in they offered me an upgrade which was fabulous on a very full overnight long haul flight. When I landed in Sydney it meant that I could all express queues. I was even let through customs without my bag being scanned for pests which has never happened to me before nor anyone I know.

On the way back to London I was also given an upgrade for just being me.

That was three very lucky things due to the three leaps of lucky carp.

There are supernatural forces everywhere, you just have to know where to look...

You are quite right. These were supernatural carp. Believing I was lucky was not superstitious because they _were_ lucky not merely reputed to be lucky.